Churchill Downs: Don’t Tell Sophia will be running late in Falls City

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Until his mother died a few years ago, Phil Sims typically would spend Thanksgiving in Flemingsburg, Ky., the small northeastern Kentucky town where he and his five siblings grew up.

Sims, a 51-year-old father of two sons, served notice last year that he has a new tradition for the fourth Thursday in November: winning races at Churchill Downs. He saddled two winners on Thanksgiving Day 2012 – Don’t Tell Sophia in an allowance race and Surprise Surprise in a maiden claiming race – and this year he’d like the whole bird, and not just the trimmings.

Toward that end, Sims will send out the highweight and likely favorite Thursday when Don’t Tell Sophia, an eye-catching winner of the Grade 2 Chilukki earlier in the meet, carries 122 pounds in the Grade 2, $150,000 Falls City Handicap at Churchill.

Like her trainer, Don’t Tell Sophia hails from modest beginnings, having been bought by Sims for a mere $1,000 as a yearling.[bc_video_id:311077:]

“She may’ve cost just $1,000, but she’s never really been a thousand-dollar horse,” said Sims, the Keeneland-based veteran who sold part-interest in Don’t Tell Sophia to Jerry Namy after she won for the second time in August 2011. “She’s always been a big, strong, good-looking filly, with a great mind.”

Don’t Tell Sophia, a 5-year-old mare by Congaree, has looked like a million dollars on occasion, including in the one-mile Chilukki, when she stormed from well behind to win going away and earn a career high-tying 100 Beyer Speed Figure under Joe Rocco Jr., who has the mount back Thursday.

Sims said he is aware the dynamics of the 1 1/8-mile Falls City could differ markedly from how the Chilukki set up in favor of his mare’s late kick. The pace was very fast that day and might not be duplicated Thursday, although the presence of the speedy Magic Hour and maybe a couple of others should ensure an honest tempo.

“She’ll still make her run, no matter what the pace is,” said Sims. “She always seems to come with that one strong run. And the outside post is no big deal – she even kind of likes it out there.”

Don’t Tell Sophia was assigned the outside post in a field that originally was nine but will scratch down by at least one, with Bob Baffert having decided against shipping Fiftyshadesofhay to Churchill. Baffert said he intends to run the 3-year-old filly on her home California circuit.

With Fiftyshadesofhay out, probably the top challengers are Flashy American, a two-back winner of the Locust Grove on opening weekend of the new September meet at Churchill; My Option, a gray Chicago shipper never worse than third in nine career starts and the lone 3-year-old still in the lineup; Magic Hour, an Ian Wilkes-trained filly who actually upset Don’t Tell Sophia in early October over a very sloppy surface at Indiana Downs; and Wine Princess, the regally bred 4-year-old making the final start of her career.

Flashy American, a gray 4-year-old trained by Ken McPeek, is enjoying her best year so far, having won three races in 2013 besides the Locust Grove. She will be ridden by Corey Lanerie, who is having another outstanding stand and is on the verge of winning a fourth riding title in the past five Churchill meets.

The balance of the Falls City field includes Ice Cream Silence and the uncoupled Dale Romans pair of Owl Moon and Molly Morgan. Last year, Romans won his second Falls City with Afleeting Lady, helping to cap his spectacular year as the Eclipse Award-winning trainer.

The Falls City, first run in 1875 and a Thanksgiving feature since 1978, is the first of four graded stakes that close the 25-day fall meet. The Grade 1 Clark Handicap will be run Friday, and a pair of Grade 2 races, the Golden Rod and Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, will anchor a Stars of Tomorrow card Saturday.

Twelve races are carded for Thursday, when special first post is 11:30 a.m. Eastern. The Falls City (race 11) goes at 4:21 and the last race at 4:50.

First post for the last two days of the meet is the usual 12:40. Turfway Park in northern Kentucky kicks off four months of winter racing Sunday.